Mental health response was united

You suggest there was a lack of criticism concerning the Today programme's story on secure care.

Today's own website refers to "scores of emails, many highlighting the tension between the need for therapy and the demands of security". This high volume of response is, presumably, what prompted the programme to run two further items on the topic that week in an attempt to redress the balance.

The most important and positive thing about reaction to this story was the way the mental health field united in its opposition to stigma and prejudiced attitudes in the media. Professionals, the voluntary sector, government and users do not agree about everything, but there are fundamental points of consensus, and one of these is our opposition to discrimination in all its forms.

Louis Appleby, national director for mental health service

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